US4324416A - Wheel suspension for motor vehicles - Google Patents

Wheel suspension for motor vehicles Download PDF

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Publication number
US4324416A
US4324416A US06/134,496 US13449680A US4324416A US 4324416 A US4324416 A US 4324416A US 13449680 A US13449680 A US 13449680A US 4324416 A US4324416 A US 4324416A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
wheel carrier
caster
connecting means
wheel
mounting
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US06/134,496
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Manfred Schneeweiss
Adolf Gotzenberger
Aloys Ohm
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Audi AG
Original Assignee
Audi NSU Auto Union AG
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Audi NSU Auto Union AG filed Critical Audi NSU Auto Union AG
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US4324416A publication Critical patent/US4324416A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
    • B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
    • B62D17/00—Means on vehicles for adjusting camber, castor, or toe-in
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
    • B60G13/00—Resilient suspensions characterised by arrangement, location or type of vibration dampers
    • B60G13/001—Arrangements for attachment of dampers
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
    • B60G7/00—Pivoted suspension arms; Accessories thereof
    • B60G7/005—Ball joints
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
    • B60G7/00—Pivoted suspension arms; Accessories thereof
    • B60G7/008—Attaching arms to unsprung part of vehicle
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
    • B60G2200/00—Indexing codes relating to suspension types
    • B60G2200/10—Independent suspensions
    • B60G2200/14—Independent suspensions with lateral arms
    • B60G2200/156—Independent suspensions with lateral arms wishbone-type arm formed by two links defining a virtual apex
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
    • B60G2204/00—Indexing codes related to suspensions per se or to auxiliary parts
    • B60G2204/40—Auxiliary suspension parts; Adjustment of suspensions
    • B60G2204/416—Ball or spherical joints

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a wheel suspension for motor vehicles and more particularly to a steering wheel suspension having improved means for setting the camber and caster of the wheel.
  • camber and caster are provided for basically the same wheel suspension configurations, depending upon the optional equipment installed on the vehicle or the desired driving performance of the vehicle, i.e., either for riding comfort or maneuverability as is desired in sport vehicles.
  • the optional equipment installed on the vehicle or the desired driving performance of the vehicle i.e., either for riding comfort or maneuverability as is desired in sport vehicles.
  • power-assisted steering it is more advantageous to provide a generous amount of caster for the purpose of stabilizing the performance of the vehicle.
  • a camber of approximately zero to a low positive value is advantageous.
  • a negative camber is desirable to improve steering performance.
  • the wheel carrier or a component interconnecting the wheel carrier to the wheel guide components must be redesigned so that such change in caster will not result in a change in the wheel base of the vehicle. It thus has been found to be desirable to provide a steering wheel suspension for motor vehicles in which the camber and/or caster can be altered which requires neither skilled personnel for making manual adjustments to the components or a large inventory of parts corresponding to different camber and/or caster settings.
  • Another object of the present invention is to provide a steering wheel suspension for motor vehicles having improved means for altering the camber and/or caster of the wheels thereof.
  • a further object of the present invention is to provide a front wheel suspension for motor vehicles in which the camber and/or caster can be set to accommodate either simple mechanical steering or power-assisted steering.
  • Another object of the present invention is to provide a front wheel suspension for a motor vehicle in which the camber and/or caster can be set to provide either greater driving comfort and economy of operation or improved steerability.
  • a further object of the present invention is to provide a front wheel suspension having improved means for altering the camber and/or caster of the wheels which requires neither skilled personnel for manually adjusting the camber and/or caster or a large inventory of parts corresponding to different camber and/or caster settings.
  • FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic, side elevational view of a wheel suspension embodying the present inventions
  • FIG. 2 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view taken along line II--II in FIG. 1, illustrating a mounting arm member mounted on a lower control arm, which is pivotally connected to a wheel carrier;
  • FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III--III in FIG. 2;
  • FIG. 4 is a view similar to the view shown in FIG. 3, illustrating a modification of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3;
  • FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V--V in FIG. 4.
  • FIG. 6 is an enlarged view taken in the direction of the arrow x in FIG. 1.
  • a front wheel suspension of a motor vehicle generally including a telescopic shock absorber 2, a wheel carrier 4 and a lower control arm or wishbone member 6.
  • the lower end of shock absorber 2 is rigidly secured to wheel carrier 4.
  • the shock absorber is pivotally connected to the vehicle body 10 by means of a ball-and-socket type connection 8.
  • Wheel carrier 4 is connected to lower control arm member 6 by means of a ball-and-socket type of connection 12, the lower control arm member being pivotally connected to the vehicle body by means of hinged connections 14 and 16 in such a manner so as to permit the control arm member to pivot about a longitudinal axis of the vehicle.
  • An axle shaft 18 is journaled in wheel carrier 4, on which there is mounted a wheel 20 shown in broken lines.
  • the wheel is mounted on the axle shaft in the conventional manner and may be driven by drive components connected to the axle shaft.
  • Wheel carrier 4 is pivotal about a steering axis 22 defined by a line intersecting pivot joints 8 and 12, the angle of steering axis 22 relative to a vertical line 24 extending through the center of the wheel, in a vertical, longitudinal plane, defining the caster of wheel 18. It will be appreciated that if the point of intersection of steering axis 22 with the road surface lies ahead of vertical line 24, there is provided a positive caster of the wheel. Otherwise, the wheel will have a negative caster.
  • the camber of the wheel is defined by the angle of steering axis 22 relative to vertical line 24 in a transverse plane when the wheels are oriented longitudinally.
  • the camber may be altered by transversely displacing pivot joint 8 relative to the vehicle frame as illustrated by the arrow 27.
  • the suspension is designed so that pivot joint 12 may be displaced from the position shown in solid lines in FIGS. 1 and 2 to the position shown in broken lines therein, thereby displacing the steering axis of the wheel from the position identified by reference numeral 22 to the position identified by reference numeral 28 and correspondingly resetting the caster of the wheel.
  • pivot point 12 is connected to a mounting arm member 30 which is detachably mounted on the outer end of lower control arm 6 by means of bolts inserted through mounting openings 32 and 34 located on a mounting axis m.
  • Pivot joint 12 is mounted on an outer end of mounting arm 30 which projects laterally of the lower control arm and is offset laterally so that the pivot joint is displaced a distance a relative to mounting axis m.
  • FIG. 2 illustrates the components of the left wheel suspension of the vehicle relative to the direction of motion of the vehicle
  • mounting arm 30 is mounted on the identical right lower control arm (not shown) of the vehicle and the mounting arm, which is identical, is reversed to the left, it will assume the position shown by the broken lines, i.e., the pivot point of pivot joint 12 will be displaced toward the front of the vehicle by twice the distance a.
  • the pin 38 of ball joint 12 is mounted in a conical hole 40 of a mounting flange 42 formed on wheel carrier 4 and is secured therein by means of a threaded fastener.
  • a second mounting hole 44 spaced at a distance equal to twice the distance a from hole 40, in which pin 38 may be mounted.
  • FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a modification of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 in which the pivot joint 12' is mounted on an intermediate flange 46, displaced from a transverse centerline thereof.
  • Intermediate flange 46 is secured to wheel carrier 4 by means of a set of bolts 48 and 50 which extend through openings 52 and 54 in intermediate flange 46 and are threaded into the wheel carrier.
  • bolt holes 52 and 54 are spaced equally from transverse centerline m and the axis of ball joint 12 is spaced from the transverse centerline, along a line intersecting the axes of bolt holes 52 and 53, a distance a.
  • Mounting arm 62 which is detachably mounted on lower control arm 6 by means of bolts inserted in bolt holes 58 and 60 lying along mounting axis m, in the same manner as described in connection with the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, is provided with a mounting hole 64 for ball pin 38'. As best shown in FIG. 4, mounting hole 64 also is displaced relative to mounting axis m. The caster can further be adjusted by mounting the mounting arm 62 in the right control arm and vice versa.
  • upper joint 8 is connected to a bracket 66 detachably connected to the vehicle body.
  • a ring-shaped rubber element 68 is inserted between the ball portion of joint 8 and bracket 66.
  • the bracket is provided with a pair of longitudinally aligned mounting holes 70 and 72 through which bolts are inserted and threaded into the vehicle body for detachably securing the bracket to the vehicle body.
  • the axis of the socket in bracket 66 in which the ball portion of joint 8 is mounted is displaced laterally relative to the longitudinal line intersecting the axes of mounting holes 70 and 72, by a distance b as best shown in FIG. 6.
  • bracket 66 detaching bracket 66 from the vehicle body, rotating it 180° and bolting the bracket to the vehicle body, the pivot point of joint 8 will be displaced transversely by twice the distance b. As the pivot point of joint 8 is thus displaced laterally, the camber of the wheel mounted on the suspension correspondingly will be altered. From a design point of view, the value of dimension b must be such that each mounting position of the bracket will provide the desired positive or negative camber.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Transportation (AREA)
  • Vehicle Body Suspensions (AREA)
  • Arrangement Or Mounting Of Propulsion Units For Vehicles (AREA)
  • Body Structure For Vehicles (AREA)
US06/134,496 1979-03-29 1980-03-27 Wheel suspension for motor vehicles Expired - Lifetime US4324416A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE29127875 1979-03-29
DE2912787A DE2912787C2 (de) 1979-03-30 1979-03-30 Radaufhängung für Kraftfahrzeug

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US4324416A true US4324416A (en) 1982-04-13

Family

ID=6066968

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US06/134,496 Expired - Lifetime US4324416A (en) 1979-03-29 1980-03-27 Wheel suspension for motor vehicles

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US4324416A (de)
DE (1) DE2912787C2 (de)
FR (1) FR2452411A1 (de)

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4730838A (en) * 1985-08-21 1988-03-15 Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Motor vehicle with leveling mechanisms
US5092962A (en) * 1989-03-30 1992-03-03 Valmet Paper Machinery Inc. Hot-pressing and drying device
US20030111815A1 (en) * 2001-12-14 2003-06-19 Matthew Pankau Suspension kit
US20150197296A1 (en) * 2007-03-16 2015-07-16 Polaris Industries Inc. Vehicle
US20170050680A1 (en) * 2015-08-19 2017-02-23 Ford Global Technologies, Llc Shock Absorber Mount
SE1951159A1 (en) * 2019-10-13 2021-04-14 Sentient Ab A method and a system arrangement for vehicle steering and a vehicle with such a system

Families Citing this family (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
IT1155316B (it) * 1982-04-21 1987-01-28 Fiat Auto Spa Sospensione per una ruota di un veicolo
DE3730176A1 (de) * 1987-09-09 1989-03-30 Bayerische Motoren Werke Ag Verstelleinrichtung fuer das gelenk eines lenkers einer radaufhaengung
DE3801640C1 (de) * 1988-01-21 1989-01-26 Dr.Ing.H.C. F. Porsche Ag, 7000 Stuttgart, De
DE3803289A1 (de) * 1988-02-04 1989-08-17 Porsche Ag Umsetzbares elastisches stuetzlager fuer schwingungsdaempfer
DE4404546C2 (de) * 1994-02-12 2002-09-26 Audi Ag Karosserieseitige Anlenkung eines Lenkers
DE102007060389A1 (de) * 2007-12-14 2009-06-18 Volkswagen Ag Modulares Fahrwerkslenkersystem, Fertigungsanlage zur Herstellung von Fahrwerkslenkern und Verfahren zur Herstellung von Fahrwerkslenkern
DK177094B1 (en) * 2009-09-15 2011-08-22 Ecomove Aps A transport means and a vehicle
DE102010043428A1 (de) * 2010-11-04 2012-05-10 Zf Friedrichshafen Ag Radaufhängung für ein Fahrzeug
FR2982573B1 (fr) * 2011-11-15 2014-04-25 Peugeot Citroen Automobiles Sa Procede de fabrication de bras tires de train de vehicule adaptes a des angles d’anti-cabrage differents
DE102013221893A1 (de) * 2013-10-29 2015-04-30 Zf Friedrichshafen Ag Verfahren zur Herstellung eines Lenkers und Mehr-Punkt-Lenker für ein Kraftfahrzeug
FR3015416B1 (fr) * 2013-12-20 2017-03-03 Renault Sa Train de suspension pour vehicule automobile, rotule de liaison pour le train et procede de montage correspondant

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2923555A (en) * 1953-10-02 1960-02-02 Kost Multiple X Inc Eccentrically adjustable vehicle front wheel mounting devices
US3124370A (en) * 1964-03-10 traugott
US4026578A (en) * 1976-04-07 1977-05-31 Mattson Charles T Vehicular wheel adjusting device
US4213631A (en) * 1978-06-22 1980-07-22 Wilkerson Edward D Vehicle wheel alignment adjustment device

Family Cites Families (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR693388A (fr) * 1929-04-08 1930-11-19 Perfectionnements à l'équipement amortisseur des véhicules, et en particulier des véhicules automobiles
FR817816A (fr) * 1936-02-14 1937-09-11 Daimler Benz Ag Dispositif de réglage de la position du pivot de direction de roues
US2281555A (en) * 1939-11-24 1942-05-05 Wheel Aligning Necessities Inc Knee action compensator
DE1755864A1 (de) * 1968-07-03 1972-01-13 Audi Nsu Auto Union Ag Vorrichtung zur Einstellung des Sturzes und des Nachlaufs fuer ein einzeln aufgehaengtes Kraftfahrzeugvorderrad
US3608851A (en) * 1968-12-18 1971-09-28 Richard D Anderson Shock absorber mounting assembly
US3799481A (en) * 1973-01-18 1974-03-26 R Anderson Shock absorber mounting assembly
DE2303102B2 (de) * 1973-01-23 1976-11-25 Audi Nsu Auto Union Ag, 7107 Neckarsulm Vorrichtung zum einstellen des sturzes und des nachlaufs fuer ein einzeln aufgehaengtes kraftfahrzeugvorderrad

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3124370A (en) * 1964-03-10 traugott
US2923555A (en) * 1953-10-02 1960-02-02 Kost Multiple X Inc Eccentrically adjustable vehicle front wheel mounting devices
US4026578A (en) * 1976-04-07 1977-05-31 Mattson Charles T Vehicular wheel adjusting device
US4213631A (en) * 1978-06-22 1980-07-22 Wilkerson Edward D Vehicle wheel alignment adjustment device

Cited By (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4730838A (en) * 1985-08-21 1988-03-15 Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Motor vehicle with leveling mechanisms
US5092962A (en) * 1989-03-30 1992-03-03 Valmet Paper Machinery Inc. Hot-pressing and drying device
US20030111815A1 (en) * 2001-12-14 2003-06-19 Matthew Pankau Suspension kit
US6796569B2 (en) * 2001-12-14 2004-09-28 Matthew Pankau Suspension kit
US20150197296A1 (en) * 2007-03-16 2015-07-16 Polaris Industries Inc. Vehicle
US10960937B2 (en) 2007-03-16 2021-03-30 Polaris Industries Inc. Vehicle
US11254372B2 (en) 2007-03-16 2022-02-22 Polaris Industries Inc. Vehicle
US20170050680A1 (en) * 2015-08-19 2017-02-23 Ford Global Technologies, Llc Shock Absorber Mount
US10933919B2 (en) * 2015-08-19 2021-03-02 Ford Global Technologies, Llc Shock absorber mount
SE1951159A1 (en) * 2019-10-13 2021-04-14 Sentient Ab A method and a system arrangement for vehicle steering and a vehicle with such a system
SE544124C2 (en) * 2019-10-13 2022-01-04 Sentient Ab A method and a system arrangement for vehicle steering and a vehicle with such a system

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE2912787A1 (de) 1980-10-09
DE2912787C2 (de) 1982-08-05
FR2452411A1 (fr) 1980-10-24
FR2452411B1 (de) 1985-05-17

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